Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal may have stolen a march over their Premier League rivals with an early conclusion to the club’s summer transfer window dealings.
The Gunners, runners-up last term to English champions Manchester City, have spent more than £200mn ($254mn, 232mn euros) to bring Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice to the Emirates Stadium before the middle of July, with the trio all involved in Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the United States.
And while the future for the likes of highly-regarded Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo remains uncertain, Arteta said there was an advantage to assembling his squad well before the start of a new season. “I think it definitely helps, especially for the player and getting to the environment and getting set,” Arteta said on Friday ahead of his side’s Premier League opener at home to Nottingham Forest today.
Spanish boss Arteta, whose Arsenal side beat Manchester City on penalties to win the Community Shield at Wembley last weekend, added: “Also for the coaches it is important, for the media, for the commercial for the clubs as well, especially when you go on tour to be certain and have the players you are going to have for the season so it was something very positive for us.
“We’ve done it and we had the intention to do it, sometimes it is possible, sometimes it is not. But we tried our best and we just have to focus on what we can do, the reasons we have done it and maximise the resources we have.”
Arsenal led the Premier League for much of last season before being overhauled by City, with the north London club eventually finishing five points behind in second place. The Gunners will now be one of the favourites to challenge Pep Guardiola’s side for the title but Arteta, asked if there would be more pressure on his side as a consequence, said: “I think it is excitement, this is where we want to be and building a team that has the belief and the quality to be fighting for those places.
“The competition this year is going to be even harder than last year, you see a lot of teams and the movements they have made and you have to expect something different from them. So we have to be much better still than last year and this is the way we are preparing, to seek for that.
“The reality is that in football you have to be at your best on the day and it’s only about today and tomorrow and training the way we want to play and increasing the probability of winning that game by earning the right to do that.”
Raya set for Arsenal and will not play on Sunday, says Frank
Brentford expect goalkeeper David Raya to join Arsenal and the Spaniard will not play in tomorrow’s home Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur, manager Thomas Frank said. The West Londoners finished ninth in their second Premier League campaign and signed Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Bundesliga side Freiburg on a four-year contract in May. Raya, 27, has been with Brentford since they were in the Championship (second tier). Media reports have spoken of a loan deal for an initial 3mn pounds ($3.81mn), with an option for a permanent transfer for 27mn, to provide competition for England keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
“I expect the deal will be completed with Arsenal. He’s not here at the moment and won’t be involved on Sunday,” said Frank. “Mark Flekken was one of the best keepers in the Bundesliga last year. I like his personality; he is a leader. I like his distribution and dominance in the area. From the first game in America to Lille, he has got better each time.”
Man United boss Ten Hag happy to have Hojlund over Kane
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insisted he had no regrets about bringing Rasmus Hojlund to Old Trafford instead of Bayern Munich-bound Harry Kane. Ten Hag has also added goalkeeper Andre Onana and midfielder Mason Mount to his squad, but United have long been in need of a striker.
United decided to opt for a player of potential rather than a proven talent in Atalanta’s Hojlund. “First of all we have chosen a striker and we are really happy with our choice,” Ten Hag said of the Denmark international. “(Kane) is a great striker. That’s clear, he’s really a goal maker and apart from that he has all the conditions and abilities that you want to see in a striker. It’s a miss for the Premier League, absolutely.”
The Dutchman was coy when asked if United were serious contenders to sign Kane, who could now move to German giants Bayern in a move worth £120mn.
“I don’t think that I have to go into that discussion or to give an opinion about that,” said Ten Hag. “We are professional. The processes we do are really careful, we consider a lot of things. But finally we make decisions and we don’t take decisions overnight. There’s a strategy behind every decision and we are happy with the squad we have now.”
Hojlund, 20, arrived at Old Trafford for an initial fee of £64 million that could rise to £72 million with add-ons, signing a five-year deal with the option of a further season. But his competitive United debut is set to be delayed by a back problem, although Ten Hag stressed it was not a major injury. Hojlund will miss Monday’s Premier League opener against Wolves.